1

FEEDBACK

From event held on the 23rd January 2020

The Spinning Room, Mossley Mill

CONTENTS Pages

Session one: Building a Research Community in NI - Context 2

Agenda from 23rd January 2020 3

Continued with context - Culture 4-5

Building a Research community - continued session one 6-10

Session two: Review of the Social Work Research 11-14 and Continuous Improvement Strategy 2015-2020

Appendix 1 15

Appendix 2 - Appendix 3 16-17

BUILDING A RESEARCH COMMUNITY IN NORTHERN IRELAND

2

Session One: Building a Research Community in Northern

Ireland

Context

Our initiative on Building a Research Community commenced with a successful

meeting on the 11th November 2019 with attendance by over fifty delegates - See

Appendix 1. It built on the foundations of the Social Work Research and

Continuous Improvement Strategy 2015-2020 which was reviewed in 2019. As we

move forward into the next phase of the strategy we wish to built a research

community that will foster mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships.

In January 2020 we arranged a follow up event comprising of representation of

delegates who attended the first event. It included HSC organisations, academics,

other organisations, employees, social workers, service users and carers.

See appendix 2

The meeting was designed to address two things:

Moving forward on Building a Research Community and setting the agenda

for the future; and,

Consideration of revisions to the Social Work Research and Continuous

Improvement Strategy 2015-2020 to reflect phase 2 of the Strategy.

Two working groups co-chaired by Sonia Patton (service user) and Tony

McAllister (South Eastern Trust) and Fiona Templeton (service user) and Shirley

Boyle (Northern Trust) discussed a series of pre - set questions.

Facilitators Group 1:

Fiona Templeton (Service User)

Shirley Boyle (Northern Trust)

Facilitators Group 2:

Sonia Patton (Service User)

Tony McAllister (South East Trust)

3

ECEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER: ISUE 11 Agenda from the meeting 23rd January 2020

9.30 Tea/coffee and Networking

10.00 Welcome and Opening Remarks Marie Roulston (HSCB)

10.05

Introductions to

Building A Research Community work

Group work

Consideration of feedback

Title

Infrastructure & accountability

Core groups

Synergy with other groups and agendas

Action Plan

Anne McGlade

Facilitators:

Sonia Patton

Shirley Boyle

Fiona Templeton

Tony McAllister

11.15 Comment from HSC R&D Division Gail Johnston

11.20 Tea and coffee and Networking

11.45

Introduction to Social Work Research and Continuous Improvement Strategy

Group work

Consideration of feedback

Consideration of current strategic priorities - suggested

Small core group to take forward

Anne McGlade

Facilitators:

Sonia Patton

Shirley Boyle

Fiona Templeton

Tony McAllister

12.50 Importance of wider networking and

organisational commitment to research

Peter Reynolds

NIGALA

1.00 Thank you and Close Anne McGlade (HSCB)

Lunch and Networking

“Moving from being research aware to more participative and active engagement in social work

research is not an optional extra”

Peter Reynolds - NIGALA

4 Continued

This report reflects the discussion and feedback obtained from delegates who

participated at the event on the 23rd January 2020. The feedback from the

previous meeting on the 11th November 2019 was circulated widely and is also

available at:

http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/download/PUBLICATIONS/SOCIAL%20WORK%20RESEARCH%

20AND%20CONTINUOUS%20IMPROVEMENT/building_a_research_community/barc-event-nov-

feedback-2020-01-24.pdf

In line with the agenda delegates had the opportunity to quality assure the

feedback document from the 11th November 2019 event hosted at Dunsilly

Hotel. The feedback was viewed as thorough and reflective of the discussion.

This has enabled dissemination to the wider group of stakeholders and

facilitates ongoing communications and engagement.

Key themes addressed at the previous event, and reiterated within both

discussions groups. centred on issues of culture, connectivity and

accessibility. The points raised in relation to each are presented in this

feedback leaflet.

“If you say, "let there be light", and then act with all your capacity to make it a

reality, only then there will be light and hope in the world.”

Abhijit Naskar

Focus groups with delegates

23rd January 2020

5

Culture

Creating the culture needs to be supported by those within a sphere of

influence whereby research and evidence is recognised, encouraged and

supported by senior leaders and operational leaders. The messages need to

go from the top to the front line.

Need to ensure that from the time practitioners first join the social work

profession from university there is a focus on research and evidence.

Within the service those with a practice teacher role should put an emphasis

on the use of research evidence.

We have an opportunity now with this work to move forward with a focus on

research mindedness. We need to capitalise on this.

Research mindedness will help ensure that social work practice is

underpinned by a research model. This will avoid dangers of adopting

practice or new models or approaches that are not underpinned by research

and evidence.

Research mindedness also helps to ensure that research undertaken is

linked to practice.

Culture needs to be supported by an infrastructure and a commitment that

allows staff to engage in research and evidence related activity.

6

Connectivity

Connectivity requires good communications.

The connectivity as proposed within our initial work on Building A Research Community is key.

Encouraged by the idea of collaboration between academics and practice. Building these collaborations is a positive step.

Connections needed with academia, other researchers and practitioners across the statutory sector.

Connections needed with the community and voluntary sector, service users and carers.

It may be helpful to link with co-production approaches within the wider health and social care sector.

Accessibility of research

Make research relevant to practice teams - using Research Highlights or

Short Snapshots of Research Evidence.

A Catalogue of Evidence may aid accessibility to key findings.

Design products with accessibility to the fore to allow easy access to the

research evidence base. Podcasts that are easily downloadable was

suggested.

Consider using other creative initiatives such as a portal. (SCIE noted as an

example).

Create and provide opportunities for learning and development such as a Hub

or/and e-Learning Hub/Podcasts.

“People working together in a strong

community with a shared goal and a

common purpose can make the

impossible possible”

Tom Vilsack

7

Title

There was consensus that in the developmental stage the name and

associated hashtag #BuildingAReserchCommunity is appropriate. When

launching the work this may require further discussion taking cognisance of

the importance of messages of sustainability and connectivity as we move

beyond 2020.

Infrastructure

In developing the infrastructure to support the work there was unanimous

agreement across the two groups of the importance of getting membership of

a Core Group reflective of representatives from key stakeholders. There was

agreement that this group also needed to be a manageable size comprised of

people prepared to take on agreed roles. See Appendix 3

Opportunities were provided to delegates to put their names forward or

suggest others for engagement with the Core Group - namely:

“People who feel that they actively contribute”

As reiterated in the context section of this report delegates comprised

representation from HSC organisations, other statutory and not for profit

organisations, academia, service users and carers. The suggestions for

nominations to date are therefore drawn from these stakeholders reinforcing

our commitment for inclusion and equality of participation of:

Service users and carers;

Academics;

Practitioners (statutory, not for profit

and private);

Managers.

8 Continued

Delegates considered any gaps or areas of expertise and people who could

potentially be approached and encouraged to engage with and support the

research and evidence agenda.

It is not the intention in this feedback report to provide names of people but rather

positions or areas from where representation within the Core Group may be

useful. Comments below reflect views obtained from both of the discussion

groups which were relatively consistent.

Additional inclusion or issues of relevance to the infrastructure

Leadership has been evident at the two meetings to date but the agenda

needs greater buy in and ownership from the Senior Leadership Network.

Social Work Principal and Senior Practitioners within Trusts need to be

involved. Research and evidence had previously been identified for

incorporation into their job descriptions. This issue needs to be pursued to

see what has happened with these job roles.

Funding for the role of Core Group members, if acting as leads or

ambassadors, should be discussed. This task needs to be included in job

descriptions. Medicine was used as comparator profession where this

automatically happens.

Need to look at other models and funding structures including for support for

service users and carers .

The Core Group needs to be viewed as an opportunity not an add on.

The Core Group needs to include leads drawn from a sphere of influence so

that they are in a position to take decisions and be also accountable for

these.

There needs to be an honest conversation about allowing some protected

time for staff engaging in the Core Group recognising already busy work

commitments. If this is not recognised by managers and supervisors as

important it will be difficult to secure commitment.

9

The Core Group must draw on representation from throughout

organisations from the top to the front line to ensure connectivity at

different levels.

Term of Reference (ToF) to be devised and agreed to identify purpose,

direction, roles and responsibilities. The chair and co-chair roles need to

reflect both leadership and the principle of equality. The Core Group also

needs administrative support.

An action plan and work plan could consider a series of events through

the year where smaller groups could meet to discuss issues.

Subgroups

On the issue of whether there was a need for additional subgroups there was

greater support amongst delegates for "Keeping the work straight forward

and uncomplicated”.

There was concern that too many groups may be difficult to manage.

There was agreement on the need to situate any tasks such as identifying

research priorities within the existing structure which will also allow

greater accountability.

Better to avoid duplication.

Look at synergy and linkages with other existing meetings and networks.

Links for example to HSC, Delegated Statutory Functions was one way

suggested that research and evidence can be better embedded and

linked to practice. Linkages to other networks was also suggested as a

better way to share outcomes from research conducted by academics,

other researchers, practitioners, service users and carers.

10

Who else needs to be part of Core Group?

Linkages with National Organisations and initiatives, where relevant, should

be considered by the Core Group (Organisations such as SCIE).

It is important that we learn from what is happening elsewhere in England,

Wales, Scotland and Republic of Ireland.

The HSC Research and Division (R&D) are already linked with the Four

Nations Research Group and it is important that we build on our established

links with R&D within this work.

Ensure we have links with Community and Voluntary Sectors (not for profit

organisations).

A provision was also added that whilst links were important how this is managed is

also important. Our objective is to have a Small Core Group. Making the group too

wide with too many people involved may be difficult to manage.

We need to keep the focus on establishing: -

“A small energetic motivated group to move the agenda forward with the membership prepared to take actions and deliver them”.

“We are living in a smaller country. It is important that we capitalise on the partnership that we already have especially between academia, practice and

service users and carers”.

“The group needs to be sustainable”.

“ The key is to make the existence of the Research Community known in the wider community”.

Immediate Task

Overwhelmingly the feedback on our immediate task was to:

Establish a Core Group with agreed Terms of Reference.

Previous terms and reference, of groups that have been in

place to date in relation to the Social Work Research and Continuous

Improvement Strategy, are a good foundation and should be reviewed and

revised.

Develop an agreed plan on a page and a detailed action plan with clear

measurable goals, targets and timelines and an associated immediate and

longer term work plan. Evidence to be collated on how well we are changing

Continued

11

the mind-set and culture.

The development of communications is important to keep the conversations

alive regionally and locally.

Session two: Review of the Social Work Research and Continuous

Improvement Strategy 2015-2020

In 2019 a review in Social Work Research and

Continuous Improvement Strategy was

undertaken which was also shared and

discussed at the previous meeting on 11th

November 2019. Delegates had the opportunity

to quality assure the feedback from that

meeting prior to wider dissemination.

Delegates agreed that there was still a need for a

Regional Strategy as we move forward post 2020.

This will ensure that the necessary governance,

accountability and oversight issues are in place. In

considering the issues that are relevant in relation to

the next phase of the strategy delegates reiterated

that wider ownership and consistency is needed.

The strategy has resulted in a number of achievements and we have evidence of

an increased number of enthusiastic practitioners and service users and carers

engaged and interested in research and evidence.

12 Continued

This enthusiasm, it was noted, has not however been consistent. The way ahead

is to address this. There was optimism for the new collaborative approach being

proposed albeit that the potential challenges in changing the culture were not

underestimated. There was a recognition that this would still take time to achieve.

Seven strategic priorities were identified within the previous strategy (2015-2020)

which were intended to support a culture of research mindedness. Delegates had

the opportunity to reconsider these. In the main these seven strategic remain

relevant. The key issues is about ownership of the priorities, and driving these

forward in addition to identifying the progress and the difference made. This is

ongoing work.

Part of the task of Building Research Community will the:

Revision of the Strategy and agreeing an Implementation Process

Some current regional initiatives were identified by delegates as examples where

greater research and evidence, pre introduction and roll out, should have been

better considered. If a research culture had been fully embedded the research

evidence base would have automatically been addressed as a pre-requisite to any

agreed regional work. This needs to be addressed.

Key initiatives identified for regional application need to embrace the evidence

base as a rationale for why this is the case. Other regional issues include court

decisions where it was noted that social workers need attention to robust research

evidence. Lack of analysis in court evidence needs to be addressed.

To build the culture as, envisaged by the vision of the original Research and

Continuous Improvement Strategy and reiterated in the review, a number of

elements were addressed in the group discussion. Quite a bit of the discussion

reiterated the discussions that had taken place in the earlier session on Building a

Research Community.

13

A summary of points is included here:

There needs to be greater questioning from peers on why practitioners are not

using research. This needs to come from managers and supervisors, inclusive

of social work professional and multi–professional groups. Social work

practitioners need to be asked what element of research and evidence

informed their decisions.

Social work practice needs to stand up to scrutiny, leaders therefore need to

also model this behaviour in order to enhance credibility, confidence and

credibility within the workforce.

Need to engage Principal Practitioners to help bring other staff in the

workforce along with the agenda.

Need to build the capacity of staff recognising this needs adequate time to

engage.

Co-production in it’s widest sense is the approach that needs to be embraced

in the development and implementation of the future Strategy. We need to

demonstrate this through practice.

The entire Core Group for Building a Research Community needs to be

engaged in identifying research priorities. This cannot be just the decision of

the chair of the Core Group albeit they have a role to support any agreed

outcomes.

Developing the capacity of staff is about changing hearts and minds and the

Core Group needs to support this through a revision and implementation of

the new Social Work and Research and Continuous Improvement Strategy.

Use of accessible research language is important given that words like

research or evidence still remain alien to some staff. Greater awareness

needed.

We need effective communications and proactive events and workshops to

engage staff across various boundaries, geographic and professional.

Listening and addressing the real challenges on the ground will ensure

effective implementation of the revised Strategy’s vision and intentions.

14

Implementation also needs to include the support of staff from the bottom up

and top down.

Research needs to be timely. We may need more Evidence Reviews that are

short and coherent. We need information to fill research gaps, as in reality,

research to create generalizable evidence takes a number of years to

produce and disseminate.

Accessible and timely provision of current information on research and

evidence outcomes remains a priority.

Organising events to bring people together on topic areas is important; taking

cognisance of the fact that social work is not a single activity. We work within

a multi-professional integrated system. Collective leadership is therefore

important.

Infrastructure

The infrastructure for the Research Strategy is in accordance with the wider

Research Community and the establishment of the Core Group. One of the key

components of the Terms of Reference for the Core Group needs to be the

delivery of a revised Social Work Research and Continuous Improvement

Strategy.

Conclusion

This short paper provides a summary of the energetic discussion that took place

at the Building a Research Community Event on 23rd January 2020.

The commitment by those in the room was infectious. The time is right to

Build the Research Community.

This is our immediate task.

15

Appendix 1:

List of attendees on the 11th November 2019 in Dunsilly hotel

1 Alison Shaw NISCC

2 Anne McGlade HSCB

3 Berni Kelly QUB

4 Brenda Horgan NISCC

5 Brian Taylor Ulster University

6 Bronagh Hamill NHSCT

7 Catherine Cooke NHSCT

8 Caroline McGonigle NHSCT

9 Carole Kirk NHSCT

10 Colm Burns PACC

11 Dawn Shaw BHSCT

12 Deborah Dalton NHSCT

13 Edna McConville SETRUST

14 Eileen McKay DOH

15 Fiona Templeton SERVICE USER

16 Frances Nicholson DOH

17 Geraldine O'Hare PBNI

18 Geraldine Patterson SETRUST

19 Gillian Thomas WHSCT

20 Helen Dunn HSCB

21 Joe Elliott WHSCT

22 John Hand BHSCT

23 Judith Brunt HSCB

24 Karen Bester SERVICE USER

25 Kathryn Carmichael NHSCT

26 Laura Doyle VOYPIC

27 Lisa Bunting QUB

28 Lorna Montgomer QUB

29 Marie Roulston HSCB

30 Martina Jordan BASW NI

31 Mary Donaghy HSCB

32 Maxine Gibson CYPSP

33 Megan McElwee HSCNI

34 Michaela Glover HSCB

35 Noeleen Higgins BHSCT

36 Owen O'Connor VOYPIC

37 Pam Borland BHSCT

38 Pamela Fillis SETRUST

39 Paula McFadden Ulster University

40 Paul Doran DOJ

41 Paul McStravick WJJC

42 Peter Reynolds NIGALA

43 Roisin O'Hare SEHSCT

44 Ross Kennedy BHSCT

45 Ruth McKelvey PBNI

46 Sara Templer HSCB

47 Sharon McAteer NISCC

48 Shirley Boyle NHSCT

49 Sonia Patton SERVICE USER

50 Stephanie Kerr BHSCT

51 Tony McAllister SETRUST

52 Trasa Canavan BARNADO'S NI

16

Appendix 2:

List of attendees on the 23rd January 2020

No Name Organisation

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Dawn Shawn

Fiona Templeton

Joe Elliott

Lorna Montgomery

Marie Roulston

Peter Reynolds

Shirley Boyle

Sonia Patton

Tony McAllister

Tràsa Canavan

Anne McGlade

Caroline Brogan

Campbell Killick

Gail Johnston

Michaela Glover

Bronagh Hamill

Judith Brunt

Lisa Bunting

Barbara Campbell

Tricia Devlin

BHSCT

Service User

WHSCT

QUB

HSCB

NIGALA

NHSCT

Service User

SETRUST

Barnado’s NI

HSCB

BHSCT

Ulster University

R&D Division

HSCNI

NHSCT

HSCB

QUB

SETRUST

NISCC

17

No Name Organisation

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Brian Taylor

Dawn Shawn

Shirley Boyle

Tràsa Canavan

Bronagh Hamill

Lisa Bunting

Tricia Devlin

Sonia Patton

Tony McAllister

Eileen McKay

Fiona Templeton

Marie Roulston

Anne McGlade

Mary Donaghy

Peter Reynolds

UU

BHSCT

NHSCT

Barnado’s NI

NHSCT

QUB

NISCC

Service User

SETRUST

DoH

Service User

HSCB

HSCB

HSCB

Nigala

Appendix 3:

Nominees to Core Group suggested (not complete)

18

NOTES:

Social Care and Children’s Directorate

12-22 Linenhall Street

Belfast, BT2 8BS

Anne McGlade Social Care Research Lead (HSCB)

Contact No: 02895363017

Email: swresearchsistrategy@hscni.net

Website: http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/our-work/social-care-and-children/swresearch